The state Department of Environmental Protection's has authorized an emergency contract to stabilize and repair River Drive in Patton Borough, Cambria County, which was damaged by a large unforeseen flow of mine drainage on Feb. 21.
The mine water was from the former Patton Clay Manufacturing Company No. 1 Mine. The flow damaged an existing mine drainage conveyance tunnel under River Road. The damage was significant enough to cause a large hole in the road surface. The borough closed the roadway, but the site poses a danger to trespassers and adds a seven-mile detour for residents and emergency vehicles, the DEP announced.
The DEP said the emergency contracting authorization allows it to immediately gather estimates, choose the most qualified bidder to begin the work to restore the drain, backfill the hole and repair the roadway. DEP expects work will begin in April and will take about two weeks to complete.
Without DEP's emergency contract the burden of addressing the problem would have fallen to Patton Borough and any affected property owners, or the project would have taken at least eight months longer if the department added this to its queue of existing projects.
Chuck Biedka is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at 724-226-4711, cbiedka@tribweb.com or via Twitter @ChuckBiedka.
